Police Id Serial Killer's Fifth Victim

Woman Found Strangled Near Tamiami Trail Was A Known Prostitute

MIAMI - — The fifth victim of a man strangling prostitutes working the motels of Tamiami Trail was identified on Monday as Necole Schneider.

Schneider's body was found fully clothed face down at daybreak on Saturday at Southwest 10th Street and 70th Avenue, a residential area not far from Tamiami Trail, police said.

Like the others, she was found on a holiday or weekend in a residential area. And like all but one of the victims before her, Schneider, 28, was strangled. The other victim was asphyxiated.

"This is definitely No. 5 in this chain of murders" involving the Tamiami Trail Strangler, Metro-Dade Detective Bill Kinnebrew said. "She had previous prostitution arrests, the last one in November. She was kind of homeless, living around in different places."

Little more is known about Schneider except that she has a former common-law husband and a sister who lives in north Dade County, police said.

When found, she was wearing a blue silky mini-dress - with one black high heel shoe on her foot and the other on the roadway. Witnesses said they had last seen her alive about 3 a.m. Saturday, soliciting along Tamiami Trail.

Schneider had been arrested in late November and then in early December during police stings, police spokesman Pat Brickman said.

The first prostitute to die was Lazaro Comesana, 27, a transvestite, on Sept. 17. He was followed by Elisa Martinez, 44; Charity Nava, 23; and Wanda Crawford, 38.

Police have mounted a round-the-clock search for the strangler that involves more than three dozen detectives. Still, they say they have few leads.

"Many people are being interviewed by homicide detectives and the task force we've set up," Kinnebrew said. "We're hoping the public will help us out."

A special hotline has been set up for calls. Anyone with information on the murders is asked to call 471-2336. A post office box also has been opened for information, partly in the hope that the killer, who is defying the best efforts of investigators, might write.

The killer appears to be playing with police. He wrote one message, on the back of Nava, his third victim. That message taunted police to catch him.

The serial killer also dumped the latest victim within a block of the shopping center where police set up their command post during recent prostitution decoy operations.

Little else is known, or is being revealed by police, about the killer.

About the victims, police know:

-- All were prostitutes working Tamiami Trail, or Southwest Eighth Street.

-- All were drug addicts.

-- It appears none was robbed.

What they don't know: How the victims were subdued by the killer. What type of vehicle he drives. What he looks like.

As the investigation continues, detectives said there is no reason to think the killing has ended.

"Be careful," Kinnebrew warned. "It appears he's targeting prostitutes as victims, but be aware of what's going on around you. Be more careful than usual."